2. PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR Amlia P Hutchinson and
Janet Lloyd London and New York
3. First published 1996 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London
EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by
Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an
imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in
the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. To purchase your own copy
of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledges collection of
thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk. Amlia
P.Hutchinson and Janet Lloyd 1996 All rights reserved. No part of
this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in
Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication
Data Hutchinson, Amlia P., 1949 Portuguese: an essential
grammar/Amlia P.Hutchinson and Janet Lloyd. (Essential grammar)
Includes index. 1. Portuguese languageGrammar. 2. Portuguese
languageTextbooks for foreign speakersEnglish. I.Lloyd, Janet,
1968. II. Title. III. Series. PC5067.3.H88 1996 469.82421dc20 9636
ISBN 0-203-97865-X Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-415-13707-1 (hbk)
0-415-13708-X (pbk)
4. CONTENTS Foreword xii How to use this book xiv PART I: AN
ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR 1 Pronunciation and spelling 2 1.1 Vowels 2 1.2
Consonants 3 1.3 Diphthongs 5 1.4 Stress 6 1.5 Accents 7 2 Nouns 8
2.1 Gender I: masculine and feminine 8 2.2 Gender II: forming the
feminine 10 2.3 Number: forming the plural 13 2.4 Diminutives and
augmentatives 15 2.5 Compound nouns 18 2.6 Collective nouns 19 3
Articles 20 3.1 Definite article 20 3.2 Use of the definite article
20 3.3 Omission of the definite article 21 3.4 Contraction of the
definite article 22 3.5 Indefinite article 23 3.6 Use of the
indefinite article 24
5. v 3.7 Omission of the indefinite article 25 3.8 Contraction
of the indefinite article 25 4 Adjectives 27 4.1 Gender 27 4.2
Number 29 4.3 Degree 30 4.4 Agreement 34 4.5 Position in the
sentence 34 5 Pronouns 36 5.1 Personal pronouns 36 5.2 Possessive
pronouns and adjectives 45 5.3 Demonstrative pronouns 45 5.4
Relative pronouns 49 5.5 Interrogative pronouns 51 5.6 Indefinite
pronouns and adjectives 53 6 Numerals 56 6.1 Cardinal, ordinal and
multiplicative numbers 56 6.2 Collective numerals 57 6.3 Use of the
conjunction e with numerals 58 6.4 Roman numerals 58 7 Verbs 186
7.1 Moods and tenses 60 7.2 Indicative mood 61 7.3 Subjunctive mood
74 7.4 Imperative mood 80 7.5 Infinitive 81 7.6 Present Participle
82 7.7 Compound Infinitive and Compound Present Participle 83 7.8
Past Participle 83
6. vi 7.9 Passive voice 84 7.10 Auxiliary verbs 85 7.11
Impersonal, unipersonal and defective verbs 89 7.12 Reflexive verbs
90 7.13 Changing vowel sounds in verbal conjugation 91 8 Adverbs 93
8.1 Uses of the adverb 93 8.2 Adverbs in -mente 94 8.3 Other
adverbs 95 8.4 Position 95 8.5 Degree 96 9 Conjunctions 97 9.1
Co-ordinating conjunctions 97 9.2 Subordinating conjunctions 99 10
Prepositions 102 10.1 Prepositions 102 10.2 Prepositional phrases
102 10.3 Contraction of preposition+article or pronoun 103 10.4
Verbs followed by a preposition 103 11 Additional notes on
Portuguese usage 105 11.1 Gente/a gente 105 11.2 Tudo/todo 105 11.3
Por/para 106 11.4 A/para 107 11.5 Desdeat/dea 107 11.6
Prximo/seguinte 108 11.7 To/tanto 108 11.8 Affirmative/negative 108
11.9 Ainda/j 109
7. vii 11.10 Prepositions of time 109 11.11 Prepositions with
means of transport 110 11.12 Word order 110 11.13 Ser/estar 114
PART II: LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS 12 Socializing 116 12.1 General
greetings 116 12.2 Taking leave 117 12.3 Greeting/taking leave
according to time of day 118 12.4 Attracting attention 119 12.5
Seasonal greetings 121 12.6 Personal greetings 121 12.7
Congratulations 121 12.8 Good wishes 121 12.9 Introductions 122
12.10 Forms of address 122 12.11 Talking about ones health 126
12.12 Places and locations 128 12.13 Talking about the weather 130
13 Exchanging factual information 132 13.1 Identifying people 132
13.2 Identifying things 134 13.3 Asking for information 135 13.4
Reporting, describing and narrating 136 13.5 Letter writing 139
13.6 Correcting assumptions 142 14 Getting things done 144 14.1
Suggesting a course of action 144 14.2 Offering to do something
144
8. viii 14.3 Requesting others to do something 145 14.4
Inviting others to do something 145 14.5 Asking for and giving
advice 146 14.6 Warning others 147 14.7 Instructing others to
do/not to do something 147 14.8 Requesting assistance 148 14.9
Stating and finding out whether something is compulsory 148 14.10
Seeking, giving, refusing permission 149 14.11 Expressing and
finding out about need 149 14.12 Enquiring and expressing
intention, want or desire 150 15 Finding out and expressing
intellectual attitudes 151 15.1 Agreement and disagreement 151 15.2
Knowing something or someone 152 15.3 Remembering something or
someone 153 15.4 Possibility and impossibility 154 15.5 Logical
conclusions 155 15.6 Incomprehension and clarification 156 15.7
Certainty and uncertainty 157 16 Judgement and evaluation 158 16.1
Expressing pleasure or liking 158 16.2 Expressing displeasure or
dislike 159 16.3 Enquiring about pleasure/displeasure,
liking/dislike 159 16.4 Enquiring and expressing interest/lack of
interest 160 16.5 Expressing surprise 161 16.6 Expressing hope 162
16.7 Enquiring about and expressing satisfaction/ 162
dissatisfaction 16.8 Expressing disappointment 163 16.9 Enquiring
about and expressing worry or fear 163 16.10 Enquiring about and
expressing preference 164
9. ix 16.11 Expressing gratitude 165 16.12 Expressing sympathy
165 16.13 Expressing happiness and unhappiness 166 16.14
Apologizing 166 16.15 Enquiring about and expressing approval/
disapproval 167 16.16 Expressing appreciation 168 16.17 Expressing
regret 168 16.18 Expressing indifference 169 16.19 Accusing 170
16.20 Enquiring about and expressing capability/ incapability 170
PART III: BRAZILIAN VARIANTS 111 Brazilian essential grammar B1
Pronunciation and spelling 173 B1.1 Vowels 175 B1.1.1 Oral vowels
175 B1.2 Consonants 175 B1.3 Diphthongs 176 B1.3.2 Nasal diphthongs
176 B2 Nouns 177 B2.4 Diminutives and augmentatives 177 B2.4.1
Diminutives 177 B2.4.3 Preferred diminutives 177 B3 Articles 178
B3.2 Use of the definite article 178 B3.2.1 With first names 178
B3.2.2 With titles 178 B3.2.5 Before possessive adjectives 178 B4
Adjectives 179 B4.3 Degree 30
10. x B4.3.3 Special comparative and superlative forms 179 B5
Pronouns 180 B5.1 Personal pronouns 180 B5.1.1 Subject pronouns 180
B5.1.2 Direct object pronouns 180 B5.1.3 Indirect object pronouns
182 B5.1.5 Prepositional pronouns 182 B5.1.6 Reflexive pronouns 183
B5.2 Possessive pronouns and adjectives 183 B5.2.1 Possessive
adjectives 183 B5.2.2 Possessive pronouns 184 B6 Numerals 185 B6.1
Cardinal, ordinal and multiplicative numbers 185 B7 Verbs 186 B7.4
Imperative mood 186 B7.4.1 Conjugation 186 B7.6 Present Participle
186 B7.12 Reflexive verbs 186 B10 Prepositions 188 B10.4 Verbs
followed by a preposition 188 B11 Additional notes on Brazilian
Portuguese usage 189 B11.1 Gente/a gente 189 B11.4 A/para 189
B11.12 Word order 189 B11.12.1 Pronouns and verbs 189 1216 Language
functions B12 Socializing 191 B12.2 Taking leave 117 B12.2.1
Informal 191
11. xi B12.4 Attracting attention 191 B12.10 Forms of address
191 B12.10.2 Less informal 192 B12.10.3 Formal 193 B12.10.4 Titles
193 B12.10.5 Family 193 B12.13 Talking about the weather 194 B13
Exchanging factual information 195 B13.3 Asking for information 195
B13.5 Letter writing 139 B13.5.1 Dates 195 B13.5.2 Opening formulas
195 B14 Getting things done 196 B14.8 Requesting assistance 196 B15
Finding out about and expressing intellectual 197 attitudes B15.6
Incomprehension and clarification 197 B16 Judgement and evaluation
198 B16.5 Expressing surprise 198 B16.14 Apologizing 198
Bibliography 199 Index 200
12. FOREWORD The aim of this work is to offer the student of
Portuguese a succinct and reasonably comprehensive overview of
Portuguese grammar. We have attempted to cater for different groups
of students, each with their own needs: the beginner, who may not
have an extensive knowledge of grammatical concepts and terminology
yet requires a guide through the grammar of the language; the
intermediate-advanced student, who appreciates a clear reference
book in moments of doubt; and the independent or adult learner, who
is studying Portuguese not for academic purposes but with other
aims in mind, such as business or travel. Above all, we have aimed
to produce a user-friendly handbook with concise explanations of
areas of grammar and comprehensible examples taken from current
Portuguese usage. This latter point is significant, given our firm
belief that grammar should not stand divorced from usage.
Nevertheless, the essential nature of this work means that we have
been obliged to use short illustrative phrases or sentences out of
context. We have tried to make the book as neutral as possible,
bearing in mind the differences between European Portuguese,
Brazilian Portuguese and the Portuguese spoken in the Lusophone
African countries. Although we have taken European Portuguese as
our starting-point, we have indicated the most marked differences
between this and Brazilian grammar and usage in Part III. We have
aimed, thus, to cover both ends of the spectrum. As African
Portuguese falls somewhere between these two extremes with
divergences which are more lexical than grammatical, we have
decided not to extend this work into that area. Part II which deals
with language functions was largely inspired by National Curriculum
guidelines for other languages. In this way, we have also
endeavoured to address the needs of teachers of Portuguese in
secondary education. If, with this product of our effort, we can
assist a wider range of people in learning and developing their
knowledge of Portuguese, the eighth most spoken language in the
world, we will consider ourselves well rewarded.
13. xiii Acknowledgements We are grateful to many colleagues
for their advice and assistance (and, in some cases, patience) in
the writing of this book. Our sincere thanks go to members of the
Spanish and Portuguese section of the Department of Modern
Languages, University of Salford, and especially to Professor Leo
Hickey, for his observations, which helped us to avoid many glaring
mistakes; to Mr Malcolm Marsh for his advice on how to illustrate
pronunciation and to Ms Cristina Sousa, for her helpful comments
regarding language functions. We would also like to single out Dr
Mike Harland of the University of Glasgow for his very welcome
encouragement and Mr Carlos Sachs of the University of Manchester
for his advice on Brazilian Portuguese usage. Our thanks also go to
Mr Peter Bull of William Hulmes Grammar School, Manchester, and Mr
Neville Mars of St Edwards College, Liverpool for their support in
this venture. Likewise, we are also grateful to Dr John Rae,
Director of the Enterprise in Higher Education Unit of the
University of Salford, and Mr Andrew Hollis of the Department of
Modern Languages, University of Salford. Many more people, British
students of Portuguese and Portuguese post- graduate students of
the University of Salford, offered their kind and enthusiastic
support in the form of suggested examples or spontaneous comments
frequently elicited by our dynamic collaborator, Maria Jos Azevedo
Silva, whose role was of intrinsic value during the earlier stages
of this project, the work having been initiated by Rute Franco
Camacho. Obviously, we could not overlook the contribution of our
students, who, over the years, have offered themselves as guinea
pigs and their comments have always been most welcome. Despite the
care that has gone into producing this book, there are, no doubt,
errors, oversights and inaccuracies for which we take full
responsibility. Amlia P.Hutchinson Janet Lloyd Salford
14. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK Part I covers the fundamental aspects
of Portuguese grammar and is intended for reference and
illustrative use. Part II covers a wide range of language functions
to assist students in putting grammar into context. In this part,
our aim was to present a series of short, self- contained dialogues
which not only illustrate language functions but also provide the
student and the teacher with useful source texts. The dialogues may
be developed in a number of ways, of which we suggest: (a)
role-play; (b) a starting-point for development of narrative
skills; (c) grammatical analysis; (d) comprehension exercises. As
we have tried as far as possible to use everyday Portuguese
situations in the dialogues, we hope that they may also provide
useful cultural references. Part III presents the main variants of
Brazilian Portuguese. Entries in this section carry the prefix B
and correspond to chapter and section numbers in Parts I and II. In
these parts, superscript capital B indicates a Brazilian variant
which can be found in Part III. Most words in the Index are
grammatically classified and it is intended as a learning tool. We
hope that students who regularly consult the Index will gradually
become accustomed to certain grammatical terms, thus finding that
explanations in the book become progressively clearer.
15. PART I: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR
16. 1 PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING The following chapter offers a
pronunciation guide to European Portuguese with examples of similar
sounds in English. Wherever possible, we have attempted to provide
close equivalent sounds in English but where this has proved
impossible, we offer approximate equivalents. 1.1 VOWELS 1.1.1 Oral
vowels Example Pronounced as a open a sapato fat closed a sapato
about unstressed a boca announce eB open e cheque cheque closed e
cabelo encounter unstressed e cheque bake as e eel conjunction,
elefante or as first syllable of word i fita feet oB open o loja
lozenge closed o poo book unstressed o is poo
17. 1 PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING 3 Example Pronounced as
pronounced as u u1 luta loot 1The u is silent in que, qui, gue and
gui (quente, quinta, guerra, guitarra) and pronounced in qua, quo
and gua (quatro, quotidiano, guarda). But there are some exceptions
where the u is read: tranquilo.B Note: An acute accent over a vowel
means that it is open (e.g. l, p, av), whereas a circumflex accent
means that the vowel is closed (e.g. l, av). 1.1.2 Nasal vowels
(produced with some nasal resonance) A vowel is nasal if a tilde
(~) is written above it or if it is followed by -m or -n within the
same syllable: Example Pronounced as l lamb am amplo ample an
planta em emprstimo empower en entre om compras contrary on contar
im sim seen in tinta tinder um tumba tomb un nunca The word muito
has a unique pronunciation because the i is pronounced as a nasal
vowel. 1.2 CONSONANTSB Most Portuguese consonants are pronounced in
the same way as their English equivalents, except for: Example
Pronounced as 1 lao lace ch champu shampoo
18. 4 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR Example Pronounced as
g+a, o, u2 gs gash g+e, i gelo measure h hora (not pronounced) j j
measure lh milho million nh vinho onion q3 quadro quack 1 c is
pronounced as in lace before e and i, and as in cat before a, o and
u. To be pronounced as in lace before a, o and u, it must have a
cedilla: . 2 u after g is silent, when followed by e or i (e.g.
guitarra, guerra). 3 q appears only before u. Normally, the u is
silent if e or i follow (e.g. mquina). r intervocalic or final, or
parar preterite (rolling the r) preceded by a consonant (except n
or l) compras initial, or preceded by n or rabo Robbie (with
Scottish l tenro pronunciation) melro rr carro (as initial r) s
initial samba samba intervocalic, or final if casa kasbah followed
by vowel meus amigos at end of syllable/word, if vesta followed by
unvoiced mosca consonant (t, c, f, p) fsforos sugar meus pais at
end of syllable/word, if Lisboa followed by voiced hs-de consonant
(b, d, g, m, n, r) rasgar mesmo measure cisne Israel as mos
19. 1 PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING 5 x usual pronunciation xerife
sheriff Mxico mesh peixe fish excelente geisha in words beginning
with exame ex- plus vowel existir easy extico in a few words taxi
taxi (memorize!) trax thorax in still fewer words trouxe sing
(memorize!) prximo Prosser z initial, or intervocalic zebra zebra
dizer dessert final luz louche 1.3 DIPHTHONGS 1.3.1 Oral diphthongs
Example Pronounced as ai pai pie au mau power ei1 lei lay eu1 teu
Euphrates (with the e pronounced as the i in it) iu partiu Europe
oi1 foi oyez! ou sou though ui fui Louisiana (with more emphasis on
the u) 1 When these diphthongs carry an acute accent, the first
vowel is pronounced with its equivalent open sound (see 1.1.1).
E.g. papis, chapu, sis.
20. 6 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR 1.3.2 Nasal diphthongsB
Example Pronounced as e me main (approx.) i cibra Cain (approx.) o
po pound (but more nasal) -am amam mound (but more nasal) -em,
-en(s) sem saint (approx.) parabns chain (approx.) e pe boing
(approx.) 1.4 STRESS Portuguese words are normally stressed on the
penultimate syllable, or on the final syllable if ending in -r, -l,
-z or -u. In these cases, the accent is not required: do-cu-men-to
document ve-lu-do velvet pro-fes-sor teacher ti-rar take co-mer eat
par-tir brake pa-pel paper a-zul blue ca-paz capable fe-liz happy
pe-ru turkey But whenever the stress falls on the antepenultimate
or last syllable, other than in the cases indicated above, the word
has to take an accent: l-ti-mo last cha-mi-n chimney ir-m sister
f-til futile m-vel piece of furniture/mobile
21. 1 PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING 7 1.5 ACCENTS In Portuguese
there are four accents: acute accent (opens the vowel): gua
circumflex accent (closes the vowel): Zzere ~ tilde (nasalizes the
vowel): irm ` grave accent (used only when there is a contraction
of the preposition a with an article or pronoun): quilo (a+a=a;
a+aquilo=quilo) The accent is also used: (a) to distinguish
different words: pelo by plo fur; body hair maa mace ma apple pela
by, for, through pla ball (b) to distinguish verbal forms:
compramos we buy comprmos we bought
22. 2 NOUNS 2.1 GENDER I: MASCULINE AND FEMININE There are two
genders: masculine and feminine. The gender of a noun is determined
by its ending, its meaning or its origin. Note: When you learn new
words, always make sure you learn their genders! 2.1.1The masculine
gender is normally used for male persons, animals and professions
commonly assigned to males. Most nouns ending in -o, -1, -r and -z
are masculine: o pato duck o colar necklace o papel paper o juz
judge 2.1.1.1Also masculine are: Names of oceans, seas, rivers,
lakes, capes and mountain ranges o Atlntico the Atlantic o Lucerna
Lake Lucerne o Bltico the Baltic o Finisterra Cape Finisterre o
Tejo the Tagus os Himalaias the Himalayas Wines o Porto Port o Do
Do Cars o Ferrari Ferrari o Rover Rover Names of seasons o Vero
Summer
23. 2 NOUNS 9 o Outono Autumn o Inverno Winter But a Primavera
Spring Names of letters: o a; o p. Cardinal numbers: o um; o
duzentos one; two hundred. But the gender of ordinal numbers agrees
with that of the noun they correspond to: minuto minute day dia the
first month ms o primeiro year ano century sculo a primeira hora
the first hour a primeira semana the first week Words of Greek
origin ending in -a o telegrama telegram o clima climate o mapa map
o telefonema phone call o cinema cinema 2.1.2The feminine gender is
normally used for female persons, animals and professions commonly
assigned to females. Most nouns ending in -a, -a, -ade, - ice and
-gem are feminine: a panela pot a velhice old age a irm sister a
viagem journey a verdade truth But do not forget that there are
some words that end in -a and are masculine! (See above, 2.1.1.1.)
2.1.2.1Also feminine are: Names of sciences and arts a Medicina
Medicine a Arquitectura Architecture a Matemtica Mathematics a
Pintura Painting Days of the week
24. 10 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR a segunda-feira Monday
a quinta-feira Thursday a tera-feira Tuesday a sexta-feira Friday a
quarta-feira Wednesday But o sbado Saturday o domingo Sunday
2.1.3Most concrete nouns ending in -e and -o are masculine: o leite
milk o limo lemon But a mo hand 2.1.4Abstract nouns ending in -e
and -o are feminine: a morte death a paixo passion 2.2 GENDER II:
FORMING THE FEMININE Nouns ending in Add Change into -o -a
consonant -a -or -a -or -triz -or -eira -eu -eia -o - -o -oa -o
-ona 2.2.1Most nouns ending in -o form their feminine by changing
this ending into - a: o tio a tia uncle aunt 2.2.2Most nouns ending
in a consonant or -or form their feminine by adding an - a: o
portugus a portuguesa Portuguese man/woman o cantor a cantora
singer But there are two exceptions! See 2.2.2.1 and 2.2.2.2.
2.2.2.1Nouns ending in -or can change into -triz (fem.):
25. 2 NOUNS 11 o actor a actriz actor actress o embaixador a
embaixatriz1 ambassador ambassadress 1 Embaixatriz is the wife of
the ambassador; but if the ambassador happens to be a woman, she is
an embaixadora. 2.2.2.2Nouns ending in -or can also change into
-eira: o lavrador a lavradeira farmer 2.2.3Nouns ending in -eu form
their feminine by changing into -eia: o europeu a europeia the
European 2.2.4Nouns ending in -o form their feminine by changing
into - , -oa or -ona: o ano a an dwarf o leo a leoa lion lioness o
solteiro a solteirona bachelor spinster But o baro a baronesa baron
baroness 2.2.5Some nouns have different endings for their masculine
and feminine forms: o consul a consulesa consul o heri a heroina
hero heroine o poeta a poetisa poet poetess 2.2.6Some nouns have a
common form for both genders. 2.2.6.1The only thing that varies is
the article: o doente a doente patient o jovem a jovem youth o
artista a artista artist o presidente a presidente president o
concorrente a concorrente competitor/contestant o intrprete a
intrprete interpreter o colega a colega colleague o estudante a
estudante student o emigrante a emigrante emigrant o dentista a
dentista dentist o turista a turista tourist o jornalista a
jornallsta journalist o guia a guia guide o futebolista a
futebolista football player
26. 12 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR 2.2.6.2The article
remains the same whether it refers to male or female: a criana
child a testemunha witness o cnjuge spouse 2.2.7There are also
pairs of words to denote male and female: o macho a fmea male
female o cavalo a gua stallion mare o co a cadela dog bitch o bode
a cabra billy-goat goat o carneiro a ovelha ram ewe o boi a vaca ox
cow o galo a galinha rooster hen o rapaz a rapariga boy girl o
homem a mulher man woman o marido a esposa husband wife o pai a me
father mother o padrasto a madrasta stepfather stepmother o
padrinho a madrinha godfather godmother o genro a nora son-in-law
daughter-in-law o av a av grandfather grandmother o rei a rainha
king queen 2.2.8Some nouns referring to animals have a fixed form
and gender regardless of the animals sex: o abutre vulture a
formiga ant o rouxinol nightingale a foca seal o tigre tiger a
raposa fox a cobra snake 2.2.8.1When it is necessary to indicate
the natural sex of these animals, the Portuguese equivalent to male
(macho) and female (fmea) should be used: o abutre fmea or a fmea
do abutre female vulture a foca macho or o macho da foca male seal
Note: Adjectives qualifying these nouns agree with the gender of
the noun and not with the gender of the animal: um bonito tigre
fmea a beautiful female tiger uma bonita foca macho a beautiful
male seal
27. 2 NOUNS 13 2.3 NUMBER: FORMING THE PLURAL Nouns ending in
Add Change into vowel -s nasal diphthongs -s consonant: -n, -r, -s,
-z -es -o -es Nouns ending in Add Change into -o -es -o -os -m -ns
-al -ais -el -eis -ol -ois -ul -uis -il (stressed) -is -il
(unstressed) -eis 2.3.1Nouns ending in a vowel or a nasal diphthong
generally form their plural by adding an -s: a mesa as mesas table
tables o jogo1 os jogos game games a lei as leis law laws o chapu
os chapus hat hats a me as mes mother mothers 1 Usually, the closed
-o- sound of the stressed syllable in a word ending in -o changes
into its equivalent open sound before adding the -s: o jogo os
jogos game games o almoo os almoos lunch lunches o corpo os corpos
body bodies o ovo os ovos egg eggs o povo os povos people peoples o
osso os ossos bone bones o olho os olhos eye eyes o fogo os fogos
fire fires o imposto os impostos tax taxes 2.3.2Nouns ending in a
consonant (-n, -r, -s, -z) form their plural by adding -es:
28. 14 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR o lquen os lquenes
lichen lichens o professor os professores teacher teachers o pas os
pases country countries a luz as luzes light lights 2.3.3The
majority of nouns ending in -o form their plural by changing this
ending into -es: a ambio as ambies ambition ambitions o corao os
coraes heart hearts But a few change into -es: o po os pes bread
loaves of bread o co os ces dog dogs and fewer still into -os! a mo
as mos hand hands o irmo os irmos brother brothers 2.3.4Nouns
ending in -m form their plural by changing into -ns: o som os sons
sound sounds a nuvem as nuvens cloud clouds 2.3.5Nouns ending in
-al, -el, -ol and -ul form their plural by changing into -ais,
-eis, -ois and -uis: o animal os animais animal animals o hotel os
hotis hotel hotels o sol os sis sun suns o paul os pais swamp
swamps But o mal os males evil evils o consul os consules consul
consuls 2.3.6Nouns ending in stressed -il form their plural by
changing into -is: o funil os funis funnel funnels 2.3.7But nouns
ending in unstressed -il change into -eis in the plural:
29. 2 NOUNS 15 o fossil os fsseis fossil fossils 2.3.8Some
nouns ending in -s have the same form for both singular and plural:
o lpis os lpis pencil pencils o ourives os ourives goldsmith
goldsmiths o cais os cais quay quays o pires os pires saucer
saucers 2.3.9Some nouns are almost exclusively used in the plural
form: as algemas handcuffs os culos glasses as calas trousers os
cales shorts 2.3.10Some words have different meanings in the
singular and in the plural: o pai os pais father fathers/parents o
filho os filhos son sons/children a av as avs grandmother
grandmothers os avs grandparents 2.4 DIMINUTIVES AND AUGMENTATIVES
Diminutive suffixes Augmentative suffixes Fem. zinha, zita, inha
ona Masc. zinho, zito, inho o 2.4.1The Portuguese language uses
diminutive and augmentative suffixes to express degrees of size,
intensity, affection, etc. Normally, diminutives are used to
express smallness, affection and pity, whereas augmentatives
usually express largeness, greatness or ugliness.B Diminutives
smallness carrinho small car affection mezinha mummy pity
coitadinho poor thing Augmentatives largeness carro large car
greatness mulherona strong woman ugliness caro ugly face
30. 16 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR Diminutives Note: It is
not always possible to translate diminutives or augmentatives into
English. These suffixes can have pejorative or grotesque meanings.
They should be used by beginners with caution! 2.4.2Diminutives are
generally used by children or by adults when talking to children: A
minha amiguinha chama-se Joaninha e anda comigo na escolinha. My
little friend is called Joaninha and she is in my school. Se
comeres a comidinha toda dou-te uma prendinha! If you eat all this
lovely food Ill give you a nice present! 2.4.3The most common
diminutive suffixes are -zinha, -zinho, -zita, -zito and - inha,
-inho, -ita, -ito.B 2.4.3.1-zinha, -zinho, -zita, -zito can simply
be added to the end of the word: mam + zinha = mamzinha mummy mvel
+ zinho = movelzinho small piece of furniture Joo + zinho =
Joozinho Johnny avio + zinho = aviozinho little plane caf + zinho =
cafezinho small cup of coffee viela + zita = vielazita small alley
p + zito = pozito light dust If the word contains an accent, that
accent is dropped unless it is indicating a nasal sound: p + zito =
pezito foot ch + zinho = chazinho tea avio1 + zinho = aviozinho
little plane 1 The plural of these words is formed from the normal
plural of the word itself before adding -s: avio/aviozinho avies/
aviezinhos ano/anozinho anes/ anezinhos 2.4.3.2Words ending in -m
change into -n before adding the suffix: homem + zinho = homenzinho
little man romagem + zinha = romagenzinha small pilgrimage
31. 2 NOUNS 17 viagem + zita = viagenzita small trip
2.4.3.3Words ending in -s, -z, only need -inho or -ito to form a
diminutive: ingls + inho = inglesinho nice English boy nariz + inho
= narizinho pretty little nose rapaz + ito = rapazito little boy
2.4.3.4Words ending in -l may need -zinho or just -inho to form a
diminutive. You should learn the most common forms! papel + inho =
papelinho small piece of paper carrocel + zinho = carrocelzinho
small merry-go-round barril + zito = barrilzito small barrel
2.4.3.5When -inha, -inho, -ita, -ito are added to nouns and
adjectives ending in unstressed -a, -e, or -o, the final vowel is
suppressed and the suffix is then added to the word: fest(a) + inha
= festinha small party gent(e) + inha = gentinha people grand(e) +
inho = grandinho biggish quent(e) + inho = quentinho warmish
tard(e) + inha = tardinha early evening cop(o) + ito = copito a
drink of wine cop(o) + inho = copinho small glass But pequeno >
pequenino or pequenininho very small/tiny 2.4.4The most common
augmentative suffixes are -o for the masculine and -ona for the
feminine. When they are added to the word, the final vowel of the
root word is suppressed: livr(o) + o = livro massive book mes(a) +
ona = mesona huge table
32. 18 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR 2.5 COMPOUND NOUNS
2.5.1There are two ways of forming compound nouns in Portuguese.
2.5.1.1Compounds can be formed by juxtaposition (the structure of
the words is not modified): pontap (ponta+p) a kick tera-feira
(tera+feira) Tuesday cor-de-rosa (cor+de+rosa) pink
2.5.1.2Compounds can also be formed by agglutination (the words
contract and lose one or more of their phonetic elements):
aguardente (gua+ardente) brandy 2.5.2There are four different ways
of forming the plural of compound nouns. 2.5.2.1Both words take an
-s if they are: noun + noun couve-flor/couves-flores cauliflower/s
noun + adjective obra-prima/obras-primas masterpiece/s adjective +
noun m-lngua/ms-lnguas gossip/s numeral + noun
quinta-feira/quintas-feiras Thursday/s 2.5.2.2The second word takes
an -s if the two words are: linked without hyphen
passatempo/passatempos hobby/ies verb + noun
guarda-chuva/guarda-chuvas umbrella/s invariable + variable noun
vice-rei/vice-reis viceroy/s 2.5.2.3The first word takes an -s if
the two words are: linked by a preposition
caminho-de-ferro/caminhos-de- railway ferro second word defines
first navio-escola/navios-escola training-ship 2.5.2.4Both words
stay the same in the plural if they are: verb + adverb fala-barato
wind-bag verb + plural noun saca-rolhas corkscrew
33. 2 NOUNS 19 2.6 COLLECTIVE NOUNS Collective nouns are
singular nouns that express the idea of a group of beings or things
of the same kind: uma alcateia (de lobos) pack uma matilha (de ces)
pack um rebanho (de ovelhas) flock uma manada (de bois/vacas) herd
um pomar (de rvores de fruto) orchard um enxame (de abelhas) swarm
uma quadrilha (de ladres) gang um cardume (de peixes) school uma
multido (de gente) crowd uma cfila (de camelos) caravan
34. 3 ARTICLES 3.1 DEFINITE ARTICLE o (masc. sing.) o cho the
floor a (fem. sing.) a porta the door os (masc. pl.) os tectos the
ceilings as (fem. pl.) as janelas the windows The definite article,
which corresponds to the in English, is used to designate a
specific noun, with which it agrees in gender and number: Ontem
encontrei o Francisco, que lia o livro de francs. Yesterday I met
Francisco, who was reading his French book. 3.2 USE OF THE DEFINITE
ARTICLE 3.2.1With first names:B O Joo, a Joana. Note: As a rule
first names in Portuguese are preceded by a definite article (as
opposed to Spanish, but similar to Catalan). 3.2.2With titles:B O
senhor/a senhora/a menina quer uma chvena de ch? Would you like a
cup of tea? A Sra. D.Laura Costa cozinha muito bem.B Mrs Costa
cooks very well. A encomenda veio para o Sr. Dr. Gomes The parcel
is for Dr/Mr Gomes.
35. 3 ARTICLES 21 O Sr. Eng. Costa no est. Quer deixar recado?
Mr Costa is not here. Would you like to leave a message? (See terms
of address below: 12.10.3 and 12.10.4.) 3.2.3With names of
continents, countries, islands and rivers: a Europa Europe a
Madeira Madeira o Brasil Brazil o Tamisa the Thames But (-)
Portugal (-) Angola (-) Cabo Verde (-) Moambique 3.2.4With days of
the week: A tera-feira dia feriado. Tuesday is a bank holiday.
3.2.5Before possessive adjectives:B a minha amiga my friend o nosso
carro our car 3.3 OMISSION OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE 3.3.1When
referring to well-known or outstanding figures (except when a
nuance of familiarity or disparagement is implied or when a
reference to his/her work is made): Gago Coutinho foi um aeronauta
portugus. Gago Coutinho was a Portuguese aeronaut. But O Gulbenkian
tinha rios de dinheiro. That Gulbenkian was rolling in it. (a very
free translation which conveys the flavour of the original)
3.3.2When a title is used as a vocative: Sente-se melhor agora, Sr.
Gomes? Are you feeling better now, Mr Gomes? 3.3.3When a title
includes a possessive pronoun: Sua Majestade, o Rei de Espanha His
Majesty the King of Spain
36. 22 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR Sua Excelncia, o
Presidente da Repblica His Excellency the President of the Republic
3.3.4Usually before names of cities and towns: Lisboa a capital de
Portugal. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. Londres a capital de
Inglaterra. London is the capital of England. But o Porto o Rio de
Janeiro 3.3.5After the verbs estudar, falar and tocar: Eu estudo
qumica. I study chemistry. Eu falo espanhol. I speak Spanish. Eu
toco piano. I play the piano. 3.3.6When making a generalization: Eu
adoro flores. I love flowers. But Eu adoro as flores perfumadas. I
love fragrant flowers. 3.4 CONTRACTION OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
3.4.1The definite article can be contracted with the prepositions
de, em, a and por as follows. 3.4.1.1Preposition de+article,
meaning in, s, , of, from: de+o=do O melhor do mundo! The best in
the world! de+a=da o livro da Manuela Manuelas book de+os=dos O
teor dos discursos The content of the speeches de+as=das Ela das
Ilhas Gregas.
37. 3 ARTICLES 23 She is from the Greek Islands.
3.4.1.2Preposition em+article, meaning on, at, about, of, in, into:
em+o=no O saco est no banco. The bag is on the bench. em+a=na Eu
ando na universidade. I am at university. em+os=nos Ele pensa
sempre nos filhos. He always thinks of/about his children.
em+as=nas J viste nas gavetas? Have you checked in the drawers?
3.4.1.3Preposition a+article, meaning on, to, at: a+o=ao Ele est ao
telefone. He is on the phone. a+a= A minha av vai missa todos os
domingos. My grandmother goes to mass every Sunday. a+os=aos J
envimos as encomendas aos clientes. We have already sent the
parcels to our clients. a+as=s O jantar de gala s nove da noite.
The gala dinner is at 9 p.m. 3.4.1.4Preposition por+article,
meaning along, by, through, for: por+o=pelo Siga pelo corredor da
direita. Go along the corridor on the right. por+a=pela As
informaes foram dadas pela testemunha. The information was provided
by the witness. por+os=pelos Ns corremos pelos campos. We ran
through the fields. por+as=pelas Ela faz tudo pelas filhas. She
does everything for her daughters. 3.5 INDEFINITE ARTICLE um (masc.
sing.) um jardim a garden uma (fem. sing.) uma escova a brush uns
(masc. pl.) uns discos some/a few records umas (fem. pl.) umas
praias some/a few beaches
38. 24 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR The indefinite article,
which corresponds to the English forms a, an and some, is used to
designate non-specific nouns, with which it agrees in gender and
number. Ontem encontrei um amigo num caf. Yesterday I met a friend
in a caf. Note: Although uns and umas can be considered the plural
of the indefinite article, the true plural of a noun+indefinite
article in Portuguese is that noun in its plural form, standing
alone. Uns and umas actually convey the meaning of some or
alguns/algumas, as opposed to others, outros/outras. Havia uma flor
em cima da mesa. There was a flower on the table. Havia flores em
cima da mesa. There were flowers on the table. Havia umas flores em
cima da mesa. There were some flowers on the table. 3.6 USE OF THE
INDEFINITE ARTICLE 3.6.1To relate someone to a famous personality:
Ele no propriamente um Cames, mas escreve poemas belssimos. He is
not exactly a Cames, but he writes beautiful poems. 3.6.2To
indicate someone we do not know very well (could imply disparaging
tone): Quem ganhou o concurso foi um Rui S. The contest was won by
a certain Rui S. 3.6.3To indicate a piece of work by a famous
person (usually a painter): O Andr comprou um Vieira da Silva muito
valioso. Andr has bought a valuable Vieira da Silva. Ele trazia um
Armani. He was wearing an Armani. 3.6.4When it means a pair, about
or such:
39. 3 ARTICLES 25 umas calas e uns sapatos a pair of trousers
and a pair of shoes Ficaram feridos uns quarenta homens. About
forty men were injured. Tens umas ideias! You have such (strange)
ideas! Ela tem uns lindos olhos! She has such beautiful eyes! 3.7
OMISSION OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE 3.7.1Before an unqualified noun,
often indicating profession, rank or nationality: O meu tio
dentista. My uncle is a dentist. But the article is used if the
noun is qualified by an adjective, as a way of stressing the idea
conveyed by that adjective: O meu tio um excelente dentista. My
uncle is an excellent dentist. O meu tio um dentista excelente.
3.7.2When making a generalization: O hotel estava cheio de belgas e
alemes. The hotel was full of Belgian and German guests. 3.8
CONTRACTION OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE 3.8.1The indefinite article
can be combined with the prepositions em and de. 3.8.1.1Preposition
em+indefinite article, meaning on a, in a, into such: em+um=num Ele
sentou-se num banco. He sat on a bench. em+uma=numa Ponha o bolo
numa caixa, por favor. Put the cake in a box, please. em+uns=nuns O
artigo usa-se nuns casos e omite-se noutros. The article is used in
some cases and omitted in others. em+umas=numas Meti-me numas
embrulhadas! I got into such trouble!
40. 26 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR 3.8.1.2Colloquial use
of the preposition de+indefinite article, meaning of a, of some.
Although this use is possible, it should be avoided in educated
written Portuguese. de+um=dum o filho dum carpinteiro the son of a
carpenter de+uma=duma a filha duma amiga the daughter of a friend
de+uns=duns Preciso duns culos. I need some glasses. de+umas=dumas
A casa dumas amigas. The house belongs to some friends.
41. 4 ADJECTIVES 4.1 GENDER 4.1.1In matters of gender,
adjectives tend to follow the same rules as nouns (see 2.1 and
2.2). 4.1.1.1As a rule, adjectives have a feminine form in -a
(especially adjectives in -o, -s, -or and -u): magro magra thin
ingls inglesa English (man/woman) encantador encantadora charming
nu nua naked But some adjectives ending in -or have the same form
for both the masculine and the feminine: anterior anterior bicolor
bicolour posterior posterior interior interior incolor colourless
exterior exterior And the same happens with the comparative form of
adjectives: maior bigger inferior inferior menor smaller melhor
better superior superior pior worse 4.1.1.2Adjectives ending in -eu
have a feminine form in -eia: europeu europeia European ateu ateia
atheist But
42. 28 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR judeu judia Jewish
4.1.1.3Adjectives ending in -o can have feminine forms in -a, -oa
or -ona: alemo alem German beiro beiroa native of Beira (Portugal)
brincalho brincalhona playful 4.1.2However, most adjectives ending
in -a, -e, -ar, -l, -m, -s and -z in the masculine keep the same
form in the feminine: hipcrita hypocritical original original
optimista optimistic principal main homicida homicidal rural rural
agrcola agricultural sensvel sensitive careca bald terrvel terrible
possvel possible doce sweet cruel cruel verde green amvel kind
forte strong fcil easy pobre poor til useful triste sad imbecil
imbecile grande big difcil difficult brilhante brilliant gentil
charming/kind quente hot azul blue doente ill prudente prudent ruim
bad/wicked comum common regular regular jovem young vulgar ordinary
capaz capable simples simple veloz fast reles vulgar feliz happy
But espanhol (masc.)/espanhola (fem.) 4.1.3Some adjectives have
irregular feminine forms: bom boa good mau m bad 4.1.4In compound
adjectives only the second element takes the feminine form:
43. 4 ADJECTIVES 29 luso-britnico luso-britnica
Anglo-Portuguese But surdo-mudo surda-muda deaf-mute 4.2 NUMBER
4.2.1In matters of number, adjectives tend to follow the same rules
as nouns (see 2.3). 4.2.1.1Adjectives ending in a vowel add an -s
in the plural (see 2.3.1): branco brancos white branca brancas
4.2.1.2Adjectives ending in a consonant (-r, -s, -z) add -es (see
2.3.2): maior maiores bigger francs franceses French capaz capazes
capable 4.2.1.3Most adjectives ending in -o change into -es, a few
into -es and even fewer into -os (see 2.3.3): espertalho
espertalhes cunning alemo alemes German so sos healthy
4.2.1.4Adjectives ending in -m change into -ns (see 2.3.4): comum
comuns common 4.2.1.5Adjectives ending in -al, -el, -ol and -ul
change into -ais, -eis, -ois and - uis (see 2.3.5): leal leais
loyal cruel crueis cruel espanhol espanhois Spanish azul azuis blue
4.2.1.6Adjectives ending in stressed -il form their plural by
changing into -is (see 2.3.6):
44. 30 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR imbecil imbecis
imbecile 4.2.1.7But adjectives ending in unstressed -il change into
-eis in the plural (see 2.3.7): til teis useful verstil versteis
versatile 4.2.1.8Adjectives ending in -s have the same form for
both singular and plural (see 2.3.8): uma cano simples/duas canes
simples one/two simple songs um homem reles/dois homens reles
one/two vulgar men 4.2.2.In compound adjectives, only the second
element takes the plural form: luso-britnico luso-britnicos
Anglo-Portuguese But um rapaz surdo-mudo/dois rapazes surdos-mudos
one/two deaf-mute boys 4.3 DEGREE 4.3.1The comparative superiority
mais(do) que morethan equality tocomo asas inferiority menos(do)
que lessthan Note: Do que is used to compare nouns, and que is used
to compare adjectives: A lebre mais veloz do que a tartaruga. The
hare is faster than the turtle. O Joo mais inteligente que
estudioso. Joo is more intelligent than studious. O vinho to caro
como a cerveja. Wine is as expensive as beer. O Outono menos quente
do que o Vero. Autumn is less warm than Summer.
45. 4 ADJECTIVES 31 O Joo menos estudioso que inteligente. Joo
is less studious than intelligent. The adverbs mais and menos may
be reinforced by ainda (even), muito (much) or bem (quite, far
more): ainda O Joo muito mais inteligente do que a Catarina. bem
Joo is even/much/far more intelligent than Catarina. After the
comparatives anterior, posterior, inferior, superior and exterior,
the second term of the comparison is introduced by the preposition
a (to): O apartamento da Rua Direita inferior a este. The flat in
Rua Direita is worse than this one. A qualidade do Expresso
superior de muitos jornais portugueses.1 The quality of the
Expresso is superior to that of many Portuguese newspapers. 1
Remember that preposition a+definite article a= (see 3.4.1.3
above). 4.3.2 The superlative 4.3.2.1Relative of superiority: o, a,
os, as maisde/que; of inferiority: o, a, os, as menosde/que: A Ana
a rapariga mais camarada da turma. Ana is the friendliest girl in
the class. O Jorge o rapaz menos camarada que alguma vez conheci.
Jorge is the least friendly boy that I have ever met. 4.3.2.2
Absolute 4.3.2.2.1 The absolute superlative is usually formed by
adding the suffix -ssimo to the adjective: O Gustavo engraadssimo.
Gustavo is extremely funny.
46. 32 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR Note: The ending of the
adjective, however, may suffer some changes before the suffix
-ssimo can be added: (a) Adjectives ending in -l, -r and -s just
add -ssimo: original originalssimo extremely original vulgar
vulgarssimo extremely ordinary portugus portuguesssimo extremely
Portuguese (b) In adjectives ending in a vowel the final vowel is
suppressed before adding - ssimo: calm(o) calmssimo extremely calm
trist(e) tristssimo extremely sad baix(o) baixssimo extremely
low/short (c) Adjectives ending in -vel change into -bilssimo:
agrad(vel) agradabilssimo most pleasant not(vel) notabilssimo
highly notable horr(vel) horribilssimo utterly horrible (d)
Adjectives ending in -m change into -nssimo: comum comunssimo
extremely common (e) Adjectives ending in -z change into -cssimo:
feliz felicssimo extremely happy veloz velocssimo extremely fast
(f) Adjectives ending in -o change into -anssimo: so sanssimo
extremely healthy temporo temporanssimo extremely early (in the
season) (g) Many adjectives revert to their Latin form before
acquiring the superlative endings -ssimo, -limo or -rrimo. You are
advised to learn this list by heart: amigo amicssimo extremely
friendly antigo antiqussimo old simples simplicssimo simple geral
generalssimo general
47. 4 ADJECTIVES 33 amargo amarssimo bitter doce dulcssimo
sweet frio frigidssimo cold nobre nobilssimo noble sbio
sapientssimo wise/knowledgeable difcil dificlimo difficult fcil
faclimo easy pobre pauprrimo poor clebre celebrrimo famous
4.3.2.2.2 The absolute superlative can also be formed by placing an
appropriate adverb before the adjective: O Gustavo muito engraado.1
Gustavo is very funny. Note: Although the regular form is advised
in formal language, in conversation, the superlative formed with
adverbs is preferred: muito frio instead of frigidssimo. 1 Muito is
the most commonly used adverb, but the following list can help to
enrich your use of Portuguese: bastante very extremamente extremely
excepcionalment exceptionally grandemente greatly e excessivamente
excessively imensamente immensely extraordinariam extraordinarily
terrivelmente terribly ente 4.3.3 Special comparative and
superlative forms Comparative Superlative Relative Absolute bom
melhor1 o melhor ptimo mau pior2 o pior pssimo grande maior3 o
maior mximo pequeno menor4 o menor mnimo muito mais o mais
muitssimo pouco menos o menos pouqussimo superior o superior
supremo inferior o inferior nfimo 1 Never mais bom. 2 Never mais
mau. 3 Never mais grande.
48. 34 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR 4 But mais pequeno is
more frequently used than menor, although in Brazilian Portuguese
menor is preferred.B 4.4 AGREEMENT 4.4.1In Portuguese, adjectives
always agree in gender and number with the nouns they qualify: um
senhor alto a tall gentleman duas senhoras altas two tall ladies a
lngua e a cultura portuguesa Portuguese language and culture os
casacos e os sapatos castanhos the brown coats and the brown shoes
But if the nouns are of different gender, the adjective goes into
the masculine plural: as cadelas e os ces vadios the stray bitches
and dogs O livro e a caneta so novos. The book and the pen are new.
And if the nouns are of different number, the adjective changes to
plural and agrees with the gender of the nouns it is qualifying: os
ces e o gato vadios the stray dogs and cat a comida e as bebidas
frias cold food and drinks a revista e os livros franceses the
French magazine and books 4.5 POSITION IN THE SENTENCE 4.5.1In
Portuguese, adjectives usually follow the noun. 4.5.1.1When the
adjective describes a characteristic of the noun, such as colour,
size, shape, taste, material, nationality or religion: uma pasta
azul a blue briefcase um tecido sedoso a silky material um livro
grande a large book uma mulher holandesa a Dutch woman um saco
redondo a round bag a religio catlica the Catholic religion vinho
doce sweet wine 4.5.1.2When the adjective is preceded by modifiers
such as muito, pouco, bastante:
49. 4 ADJECTIVES 35 uma casa muito grande a very big house
4.5.2But the adjective can precede the noun in some cases.
4.5.2.1If the relative superlative is used: o melhor, o pior, o
maior, o menor: O pior castigo a priso perptua. The worst
punishment is life imprisonment 4.5.2.2With figurative meaning: um
grande homem a great man uma pobre mulher an unfortunate woman um
velho amigo a friend of many years 4.5.2.3Sometimes we can place an
adjective before the noun in order to use other adjectives after
it, and thus avoid a long monotonous list of adjectives: um
aerodinmico carro desportivo an aerodynamic sports car Note: When
combining a series of adjectives, start with the more general and
finish with the more particular: Eles vivem num casaro enorme,
velho, feio e frio. They live in a huge, old, ugly, and cold
mansion.
50. 5 PRONOUNS 5.1 PERSONAL PRONOUNS There are five types of
personal pronouns in Portuguese: subject pronouns; direct object
pronouns; indirect object pronouns; prepositional pronouns;
reflexive pronouns. 5.1.1 Subject pronounsB eu I ns we tu, voc you
(vs), vocs you ele, ela he, she eles, elas they Tu is only used
when addressing friends, relatives and children. Voc is a little
more formal, but not formal enough to address either someone you
have never met before or a superior, in which case you should use o
senhor or a senhora. Although voc and o senhor/a senhora mean you
(2nd person sing.) in English, in Portuguese the verb must be in
the third person singular. To help you understand why, imagine that
you are actually saying You, Sir/Madam, but eventually you just say
Sir/Madam and drop the you grammatically you move on to a third
person, but still mean you! Tu s muito simptico. You (sing.) are
very kind. Voc/o senhor/a senhora muito simptico/a.
51. 5 PRONOUNS 37 You (sing.) are very kind. Vs is in
parentheses in the above table because it is now considered an old-
fashioned form of address, and is usually replaced by vocs. Vocs
works as the plural of both tu and voc. As above, although this
form refers to the second person plural, the verb in Portuguese is
in the third person plural: Vs sois muito simpticos. You (pl.) are
very kind. Vocs so muito simpticos. You (pl.) are very kind.
5.1.1.1Subject pronouns are usually omitted in Portuguese, because
the verb already contains information on person and number:B (tu)
Vens ao cinema? Are you coming to the cinema? (ns) Estvamos a tua
espera. We were waiting for you. 5.1.1.2But the subject pronoun
must be specified whenever there is doubt as to whom the verb is
referring: Ele queria ir ao teatro. He wanted to go to the theatre.
Eu queria ir ao cinema. I wanted to go to the cinema. 5.1.1.3The
subject pronoun is also used to emphasize who is doing what: Eu
quero ir ao cinema, mas eles querem ir ao teatro. I want to go to
the cinema but they want to go to the theatre. 5.1.2 Direct object
pronounsB me me nos us te you vos you o, a him, her, it os, as them
5.1.2.1Usually the direct object pronoun follows the verb and is
linked to it by a hyphen:B (a) In affirmative statements: Ele
viu-vos janela. He saw you at the window. Eu levo-te estao. Ill
take you to the station. Ela encontrou o Rui. She met Rui. Ela
encontrou-o. She met him.
52. 38 PORTUGUESE: AN ESSENTIAL GRAMMAR O Rui viu a Ana. Ele
viu-a. Rui saw Ana. He saw her. (b) In affirmative c